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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · deal · cold · date · race · object · nail · board

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cold — an illness
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. cold — not warm
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — a contest
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — a thing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. object — an aim
  23. board — to get on
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com